ELCA Action Alert: Swift Action for the Afghan Adjustment Act

Answer the biblical call to welcome the stranger by advocating alongside these new neighbors! Encourage your member of Congress to support immediate passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act.

Bipartisan bill would provide stability and security to Afghans in the United States

Lawmakers recently reintroduced the Afghan Adjustment Act, a bipartisan bill, in both the House and Senate (S. 2327/H.R.4627).

This bill, originally introduced in August 2022, would allow Afghans who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after undergoing additional vetting. Currently, Afghans who were admitted on temporary humanitarian parole status can only apply for permanent legal status through asylum or the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process, which faces severe backlogs and long processing times. These hurdles impact thousands of Afghan children and families in countless ways, but the most significant is the formidable uncertainty and limitations some feel stuck in this limbo.

The Afghan Adjustment Act is modeled after other adjustment acts and provides Afghans relocated to the United States a way to adjust their immigration status, expands and improves on ongoing efforts to protect at-risk Afghans in Afghanistan, and enhances accountability.

At a time like this, the church is called to be a serving presence in society and to advocate for generosity and compassionate welcome for those in need. Afghan newcomers have needed to adjust to life in an unfamiliar place. This is an experience which may resonate with many Lutherans. The ELCA social message on “Immigration” recommends “fair and compassionate legislative solutions to the plight of refugees whose present temporary legal status is threatened.”

Sample letter from ELCA Advocacy:

As a Christian and your constituent, I urgently call on you to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act.

An Afghan Adjustment Act would provide our Afghan neighbors with the opportunity to apply to become permanent residents after additional vetting, strengthening the communities receiving them and providing many Afghan families with stability, opportunity and community. This bill is key to effective long-term self-sustainability and full participation in society. It also builds on efforts to support at-risk Afghans in Afghanistan.

Many people of faith are involved with our Afghan neighbors through actions of accompaniment. However, I am deeply concerned that Congress has not authorized an adjustment act, as it has previously done for others that have been evacuated to the United States for humanitarian reasons. The Afghan Adjustment Act is a strong way to support how I believe these neighbors should be treated and to reinforce our national values to support people in need of protection.

I urge Congress to immediately pass an Afghan Adjustment Act.

Thank you for your service, and I look forward to hearing from you.